Chronicle Editor
Civil servants enjoy some of the best working conditions in the country.
Their salaries are quite attractive with the greater portion of them being paid in US$. Many of them enjoy free accommodation, duty-free importation of private vehicles as well as medical aid and generous pension payouts.
The foregoing factors, among others, are making working in the public sector not only financially and materially rewarding but also enjoyable. Staff morale is markedly high.
Speaking on Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Day on Tuesday, President Mnangagwa, who is also the Commander-in-Chief zeroed in on the security sector, detailing what his Government has done, is doing and plans to do to improve the soldiers’ well-being.
“A broad array of monetary and non-monetary incentives have been extended to members of the ZDF,” he said.
“Additionally, the transport needs of our Defence Forces are being attended to following the ongoing procurement of an assortment of vehicles, including over 200 buses.
The acquisition of versatile troop carrying and modern fighting vehicles, among other operational vehicles, is set to further enhance organisational mobility within the ZDF. To improve accommodation facilities for ZDF personnel, Government is implementing various projects such as the Dzivarasekwa and Khumalo Housing Projects.”
Other housing units are being constructed at Imbizo and Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo Air Force Base, he added, with 201 housing units having been completed at Dzivarasekwa Housing Project and others at different stages of completion.
“The Imbizo Institutional Housing Project has 44 units at different stages of completion and an additional 30 units scheduled to be completed by year end. To accelerate the completion of targeted units, my Government has contracted private companies to construct a total of 260 blocks of flats.
“The health needs of members of the ZDF remain a priority area. In this regard, the completion of the Manyame Referral Hospital is being accelerated in our quest to ensure that specialist medical services are available to our Defence Forces.”
The Government is doing well by taking good care of ZDF members. They defend the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; its key interests and preserve peace. The security sector is the foundation upon which strong nations are built.
There is no nation without territory, there is no nation without sovereignty and there is no nation without peace. All other markers of a nation rest upon these pillars. This, therefore, indicates how essential the ZDF is to this territory called Zimbabwe.
That is why the Government deserves all the plaudits for improving the capabilities, monetary and non-monetary incentives for security sector workers.
There is obviously more that must be done. Monetary and non-monetary which are already attractive must be enhanced, the ZDF capability, which is already top-notch must continue to evolve and investment in research and development, already advanced, must be intensified.
Bongani Ndlovu